The Originals, Season 1, Episode 12, “Dance Back from the Grave”
Written by Michael Russo and Michael Narducci
Directed by Rob Hardy
Airs Tuesdays at 8pm EST on The CW
On this week’s The Originals, old enemies of Klaus’s return seeking vengeance, Marcel and Cami bond over Davina’s death, and Elijah warns Rebekah against provoking Klaus.
After last week’s stellar episode, “Dance Back from the Grave” feels like a pretty big letdown. Sure, there are some lovely flashbacks set during the roaring twenties, and some new characters in the form of undead witches, but nothing of importance really seems to happen.
Oh, and (spoiler alert?) Danielle Campbell’s name is still featured in the opening credits, so Davina’s presumably not dead. Unfortunately, this negates last week’s emotional punch, but it’ll also be nice to see the character return, as she was such a great addition to this cast.
Anyway, onto the episode. Twenties flashbacks are rarely not fun, so they feel like a special treat in this episode. The set design is, as always, lovely and spot-on. Details abound, from the clothing and hair to the actual set pieces and music.
However, one of the biggest treats in the flashbacks is watching Klaus skillfully fight a battle against the French Quarter witches. Thus far, he’s simply seemed like a child playing games, but this episode proves Klaus does indeed know how to defeat his enemies. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that the protagonist of the show you’re watching is, if not worth rooting for, at least worth watching–no one wants to witness a stupid protagonist stumbling through life.
Though it’s been a while, it’s nice seeing Cami and Marcel bond again, especially now that Cami’s no longer in the dark about vampires and other supernatural happenings in the Quarter. Cami’s a great character, but she’s been a little underused since breaking her compulsion–she deserves more story time, for sure. Even Sophie Deveraux has proven her worth, so it’d be nice to see more of her, too. The Originals has a great cast–it’s a shame to see anybody get the shaft in favor of new characters who barely deliver (here’s looking at you, undead witches).
Hmm, what else? Seriously, this episode felt so underwhelming, possibly because it’s a bridge episode, moving past the Harvest storyline onto the new drama with Celeste, who is being set-up as the second half of the season’s Big Bad. The witches on The Originals have already proven themselves to be much more powerful and effective than the witches on sister show The Vampire Diaries, so Celeste’s presence in the Quarter could be ripe with dramatic plotlines. If not, it seems Davina’s on her way back, so there’s always her resurrection to look forward to.
Ashley Laggan